EBT Cards - SNAP

• Only eligible foods can be bought with SNAP.

• SNAP tokens may NEVER be exchanged for cash.

• Most market use $1 tokens for SNAP. This is because NO CHANGE (no cash back) can be given for SNAP.

• Vendors should be flexible and help customers by letting them add in or remove product to meet the amount of tokens they have. The sale must be for the exact amount of tokens or the customer can make up the difference with cash.

• SNAP tokens must be different in appearance than credit/debit tokens (by design, color, size, or denomination) to help vendors and customers distinguish them and ensure that SNAP currency is used only to purchase SNAP-eligible items; and so the market can track them separately.

• Do not charge SNAP customers a transaction fee to swipe their EBT card.

• SNAP tokens never expire, a customer can use them on the same day or years later.

• Typically markets will allow customers to return unused SNAP tokens for a refund back to their EBT Card.

EBT Cards - Cash Benefits

• Some EBT Card customers receive their benefits as cash, not SNAP, similar to how a debit card is used to access cash.

• There are no federal regulations on how a customer may use EBT Cash, they can buy anything sold at the market.

• Give customers the same $5 tokens for EBT Cash as are given for credit/debit since it may be used in the same way.

• Do not charge EBT Cash customers a transaction fee to swipe their EBT card.

• EBT Cash is common in some counties and not others. Some markets may have many EBT Cash customers every market day, and others may see only one EBT Cash customer per year. (Markets in the Portland-metro area should expect to serve EBT Cash customers.)

• Tokens given for EBT Cash never expire, a customer can use them on the same day or years later.

• Typically markets do not allow refunds for tokens bought with EBT Cash.

Credit & Debit Cards

Most markets do credit/debit transactions as $5 tokens with a $5 minimum purchase.

• Markets often add on a fee to credit and debit card transactions to cover fees charged by the point-of-sale provider; usually $1 - $3 depending on the market. Always let the customer know there’s a transaction fee for swiping their card, and that generally it is not reimbursed by their bank like an ATM fee.

• These tokens are treated like cash with the vendors; cash change may be given.

• Credit/debit tokens must be different in appearance than SNAP tokens (by design, color, size, or denomination) to help vendors and customers distinguish them and ensure that SNAP currency is used only to purchase SNAP-eligible items; and so the market can track them separately.

• Credit/debit tokens never expire, a customer can use them on the same day or years later.

• Typically, markets do not allow refunds for credit/debit tokens sold.

SNAP customers can buy most food sold at a farmers market. SNAP eligible items include any food for the household, such as:

• Fruits and vegetables

• Meat, poultry, and fish

• Eggs

• Dairy products

• Flours, nuts, beans, and grains

• Jams, honey, pickles

• Baked goods, candy, ice cream

• Other foods such as pantry staples, snack foods, and non-alcoholic beverages

• Seeds and plants, which produce food for the household to eat

Households CANNOT use SNAP benefits to buy:

• Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, or tobacco

• Vitamins, medicines, and nutritional supplements. If an item has a Supplement Facts label, it is considered a supplement and is not eligible for SNAP purchase.

• Prepared Foods fit for immediate consumption

• Hot foods

• Any nonfood items such as:

• Flowers

• Pet foods  

• Cleaning supplies, paper products, and other household supplies.

• Hygiene items, cosmetics

See a full listing of what SNAP can buy from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.